Loving Life After 50 - Phoenix - May 2021

May 2021

The Music of the Night

Big in Japan

Theater company strikes gold with cabaret revues

Beard Papa’s cream puffs bring lines to the Quarter

Switching

Gears

Peter Madrid says going from newspapers to PR was seamless

Phoenix Edition

Leo Chavez follows his father’s dream with barbecue Page 16

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MAY 2021

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8 Switching Gears

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Peter Madrid says going from newspapers to PR was seamless

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DIAGNOSING & TREATING CONDITIONS SUCH AS:

Ask Gabby Gayle News Briefs

Features

DIAGNOSING & TREATING CONDITIONS SUCH AS:

DIAGNOSING & TREATING CONDITIONS SUCH AS:

Leibo At Large

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From Clients to Caregivers

George Burson transitions from the beauty industry to nonprofits

Entertainment

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The Music of the Night Theater company strikes gold with cabaret revues

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Big in Japan

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The Gebrans say respect is key to U.S. Egg’s success Beard Papa’s cream puffs bring lines to the Quarter

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MAY 2021

Columns

20

Hospice Is Hope

Publisher

Steve T. Strickbine

Senior Account Executive

Vice President

Gordon Wood

Executive Editor

Courtney Oldham

Travel Editor

Tonya Mildenberg

Michael Hiatt

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Administrator

Contributors

Kristine Cannon, Fred Cicetti, Lin Sue Cooney, Natalie Gilliland, Gayle Lagman-Creswick, David Leibowitz, Michelle Talsma Everson

Graphic Designer

Ed Boitano

An Ageless Attitude Since 1979

Lovin’ Life After 50 is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@ azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegatedmedia.com.

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Opinion

Leibo At Large

Looking realistically at verdict in Chauvin case

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ The last of the guilty pronouncements in the case of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin still hung in the air when your thoughts turned to the other 800,000 sworn law enforcement officers on the job in this divided nation of ours.

Never has there been a more difficult time to do what I believe is the most difficult, most misunderstood job in the world today.

I will explain my logic momentarily, but first let me issue the caveat necessary anytime I write about public safety.

My day job involves public relations for a wide range of clients, among them police organizations.

They are not paying me to write this. In fact, they don’t know I am writing it. I am writing this piece because I care about the officers on the front lines and I continue to believe that the vast majority of cops in America can be trusted to do right by all men and women, no matter the color of their skin.

In this belief, I appear to be joined by about 7 in 10 of my neighbors, according to a recent poll by USA Today/Ipsos.

Their March 5 survey found that 69% of us “trust local police and law enforcement to promote justice and equal treatment for people of all races” — a 13% rise in support from the same question asked nine months earlier.

On the flip side, the same group did an online poll hours after Chauvin was judged guilty. That survey found that 71% of 1,000 Americans polled agreed with the jury’s verdict.

These contrasting statistics underscore the two very different views that have prevailed in the aftermath of Chauvin applying his knee to George Floyd’s neck last Memorial Day. On the one side, we have those who view the Floyd killing as an indictment of every cop, a sign that everyone with a badge is a seething racist.

They want to “defund the police” and www.LovinLife.com

dismantle law enforcement, replace beat cops with social workers, psychologists and who knows what else. I’m surely generalizing, but their rhetoric seems to suggest that every cop is the enemy.

Then there’s the other side, which views policing as a profession in dire need of reform — not wanton destruction but fixes, not extinction but evolution.

What ails policing? According to a comprehensive database compiled by the Washington Post, since 2015 police officers across the United States have shot dead 136 unarmed Black men and women.

Such a sad list of names is entirely too long, and it does not include killings like George Floyd, which did not involve gunshots. Nor does it include the other 266 unarmed people shot dead by police during those 75 months, including 168 white men and women.

This list of more than 400 unarmed dead strongly suggests that policing has a use-of-force problem that requires rethinking, revision, repair.

But, that is a far different problem than the media and political narratives that have taken hold, stories that drive division to exactly the degree that they refuse to consider policing outside the lens of race and prejudice.

The shortsightedness at work here is nothing new — it’s the same fallacy that makes racial profiling so unfair and appalling. Most of us understand that judging an entire group by the actions of one person or a few persons is bad logic and to be avoided at all costs.

A criminal of a certain race is not an indictment of that race. And the actions of Derek Chauvin and his culpability in the death of George Floyd say far less about the other 800,000 police officers than the critics would have us believe.

David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995.

Contact david@leibowitzsolo.com.

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Ask Gabby Gayle

Don’t give up on church

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Dear Gabby Gayle: Last month, someone wrote in, questioning whether she needed to go to church or not. She felt she was spiritual and had found the church she belonged to prior had been filled with church rules, etc. I had a similar experience with a church I joined in the past. Now I am in a good Bible-based church, where all are welcome, and they don’t have a bunch of manmade rules. My advice to her would be not to give up on churches, just find the right one. Church really helps me to grow stronger in faith.

Signed, GB

A

Dear GB: Thank you for writing.

Every so often this topic arises and gets lots of involvement. I will state again that I believe you can be a good person without going to church. I also believe that what you do with what you learn in church is the most important thing. Do you leave the church parking lot yelling at some little old person who cut in front of you? Do you cheat others? Do you help the less fortunate? Got the picture? Just going to church doesn’t fill the bill. You have to live it!

Signed, GG

Q

Dear Gabby Gayle: I belong to a dating site. I am 55 years old and a widow. I would like to find someone my age to have a serious relationship with.

However, I find that every man my age is looking for a woman 20 years younger than they are! What is wrong with these men? Do they really want to raise kids again? Or have more babies? Have you found this to be true also, or is it just me?

I am ready to give up.

Signed, BR

A

Dear BR: I have had an opposite experience. I hear from men 20 years younger than I. They claim to like older women, which I do not believe.

My rule is I will go as much as five years younger, and older depends on what shape they are in. My divorced son is on a |

MAY 2021

dating site, and he tends to want younger women, too. I was 10 years younger than my first husband, and when he remarried, he married an even younger woman! I think these men think marrying younger will keep them feeling young or some equally silly thing! I would love to hear from men as to why they want younger women! Keep looking, BR. Remember, you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince!

Signed, GG

Q

Dear Gabby Gayle: I have been friends with this person for 20 years. I will still remain friends with her, but she is so tiring! I need to vent. I hear from her three or four times a week. She tells me every little chore she has done.

She made the bed, she cleaned out a drawer, she cleaned the floor, had her coffee, and then she says goodbye. She has never once asked me how I am or what I am doing. Sometimes I just want to shout, “Don’t you ever wonder about me?

What do you do with a friend like that?

Signed, Fed Up

A

Dear Fed Up: I am surprised that you are still friends! Evidently, you are the bright spot in her week. It appears that she leads a pretty boring life if all she has to share is the mundane daily chores.

I might be inclined to say one day before she says goodbye, “My friend, aren’t you a little curious about what I have been up to or how I am feeling?” She is probably totally unaware that she is self-centered!

I would like to commend you for being such a loyal friend. Usually in a friendship, both derive some pleasure. No one would blame you if you moved on from her. Life is short! Thanks for writing.

Signed, GG Confidentially to AG: Yes, Ask the Old Bag column in Colorado is the same column as Ask Gabby Gayle in Arizona. Colorado prefers the Old Bag. Smile!

If you have questions for Gabby Gayle, please send them to Ask Gabby Gayle at lagmancreswick@gmail.com.

www.LovinLife.com

News Briefs

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

AAUW Northwest Valley hosts Summer Survivor Luncheon AAUW Northwest Valley will have its first Summer Survivor Luncheon at 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, May 20, at Angela’s Kitchen, Sun City Grand. Contact Rosemary Dougherty at 623-760-8479 for more information.

Guests are welcome. The luncheons are held every third Thursday in May, June, July and August.

The American Association of University Women AAUW is the nation’s leading voice promoting equity and education for women and girls. Since its founding in 1881, AAUW members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — education, social, economic and political.

The nonpartisan AAUW advances gender equity for women and girls through research, education and advocacy.

Membership is open to anyone holding an associate’s degree, bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university.

Westernaires Chorus resumes rehearsals To prepare for its December shows, Sun City West’s the Westernaires Chorus will resume its rehearsals in the “Back 40” of the Stardust Theater on Thursday, September 2.

Residents interested in rehearsing and performing with the Westernaires, one of the oldest chartered clubs in Sun City West, may contact director Sylvia Collins at 623214-6112 or visit westernaires.scwclubs.com for more information.

Laser vascular center opens in Sun City Laser Vascular Center opened its fourth office at 13640 N. 99th Avenue, Suite 200, Sun City. It joins locations in Phoenix, Chandler and Mesa.

The center is associated with Bellagio Clinic, which offers weight loss services, and Bellagio Foot & Ankle.

“It is a pleasure to provide solutions to the people of Sun City who are suffering with various vascular conditions,” says Dr. K. Alex Kim, medical director of Laser Vascular Center.

“Our board-certified surgeons can use an entire spectrum of therapies and treatments and tailor the right one for them.”

Laser Vascular Center treats patients with www.LovinLife.com

spider veins, varicose veins, leg swelling, cramping, restless leg syndrome, charley horse, wound care and other leg problems.

Kim has advance training as a general surgeon and vascular surgeon.

According to the American Society for Vascular Surgery, an estimated 40 million Americans have varicose veins, with women two times more likely than men to form them.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has stated that obesity or pregnancy present a greater risk of developing varicose veins.

To make an appointment, call 480-7885621.

DAR cleans grave sites at Pioneer and Military Memorial For the fourth year, members of Piestewa Peak and Maricopa chapters of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) cleaned grave sites at the historic Pioneer and Military Memorial Park as well as the grounds of the Smurthwaite House near Downtown Phoenix.

This annual collaborative service project between DAR chapters took place on March 27 at 13th Avenue and West Jefferson Street in Phoenix.

Members of Piestewa Peak Chapter, from Scottsdale, and of Maricopa Chapter, from Central Phoenix, cleaned grave sites and spruced up the landscape of these two historic areas, resulting in over 25 bags of trash and yard waste. The service project is the combined effort of the Historic Preservation and Conservation committees of the DAR chapters.

Maricopa Chapter is the oldest DAR chapter in Arizona, established in 1901. One of the residents of the Smurthwaite House, built in 1897, was Carolann Smurthwaite, who joined DAR’s Maricopa Chapter in 1921.

Piestewa Peak Chapter is the newest of Arizona’s 41 active DAR chapters and was chartered on October 8, 2016. The chapter is named after Piestewa Peak, the second highest point in the Phoenix Mountains.

The peak was named for Specialist Lori Ann Piestewa, a U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps soldier and member of the Hopi Tribe in northeastern Arizona who was killed in Iraq on March 23, 2003. Piestewa Peak Chapter lays a wreath at the park annually on Memorial Day. The National Society Daughters of the

American Revolution was founded in 1890 to preserve the memory and spirit of those who contributed to securing American independence. For more than 129 years, the DAR has strived to bring awareness to the honorable sacrifices and enduring legacy of all patriots who fought for America’s freedom.

Through the DAR Genealogical Research System (dar.org/GRS), the public can access a free database of information amassed by the DAR about these patriots. DAR is a nonprofit, nonpolitical women’s service organization with more than 185,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide.

Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership.

Info: arizonadar.org

SCW voters elect new governing board directors The Recreation Centers of Sun City West swore in a new director following the association’s annual governing board election.

With the election, two new faces and an incumbent were also elected for terms that begin July 1.

With the highest number of votes, Louis Mancuso was sworn in immediately following the election to fill an unfinished, vacant term that runs through June 30.

On July 1, Mancuso will begin his own three-year term. He will be joined in threeyear terms by incumbent Donna Maloney and Lisa Vines.

Harry Stannebein will be seated to a oneyear term.

The vote tally for the candidates was: • Louis Mancuso: 4,143 votes (16%).

• Donna Maloney: 3,465 votes (13.4%) • Lisa Vines: 3,457 votes (13.3%).

• Harry Stannebein: 2,952 votes (11.4%).

The volunteer governing board is comprised of nine owner members, who are elected to serve three-year terms. Vacancies with shorter terms are filled as the need arises. With 4,859 votes cast, the turnout is the second highest since at least 2012, when a major ballot initiative drew a huge number of members to the polls. Average turnout has been increasing since 2017, when online balloting began. The year prior, in 2016, only 780 members turned out to cast votes.

In this year’s election, only 80 people voted in person, with the remainder voting online.

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Features

Peter Madrid of MadridMedia spent decades as a writer and editor before crossing over into the PR world. He is also now an adjunct professor at Cronkite. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

Gears

SWITCHING Peter Madrid says going from newspapers to PR was seamless

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

8

Peter Madrid spent the first 40 years of his career as a sports editor and writer, hopping from one paper to the next, getting experience around the country.

Madrid worked for local newspapers in the Valley before 2006, just before the recession hit, when newspapers began losing revenue.

“It was a watershed moment for newspapers,” Madrid says.

“They started losing classified ads to different online entities like Craigslist and so forth. They started purging the newsroom, and I was one of the first to go.”

The Scottsdale resident landed on his feet as editor of Arizona Commercial Real Estate magazine. He knew very little about the industry, but it introduced him to a world that would prove beneficial.

He parlayed that knowledge into MadridMedia, which debuted on May 15, 2016. He provides writing, editing, media placement and media relations services.

He spent three years as communications specialist for the Phoenix office of Cushman & Wakefield.

He collected contacts by visiting company websites for hours in search of people he knew. While on these sites, he found typos, grammatical errors, and bios of people who no longer worked there.

“When the commercial real estate industry came out of the great recession, they would hire a licensed architect before a marketing or PR person.

“I’d say, ‘Here’s what I can do for you. We can do it on a retainer basis or per-assignment basis.’ That helped me get my foot in the door.”

Madrid, who teaches at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, teaches brokers, Realtors, architects and any other affiliated specialist how to pen a great email. He created a 45-minute PowerPoint on how to write with authority, how to avoid clutter, and how to write according to how we talk. He concluded with ridding emails of business cliches.

Word spread about MadridMedia and, in five years, he’s worked with about 100 companies, mostly commercial real estate firms. About 80% of them are women owned or have female CEOs, the designated broker or president.

“I love that,” he says. “I’m helping tell their stories. It just happened organically, too. I think it really shows that commercial Madrid...continues on page 9 |

MAY 2021

www.LovinLife.com

Madrid...continued from page 8 real estate is no longer a good-old-boy network.

“They trust me enough to help tell their story. If one of the industry groups is looking to put a panel together, I refer them to the correct panelist.”

A sports authority Hailing from the Santa Fe area, Madrid graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1979 and found a newspaper internship straight out of college with a minority training program. At the time, diversity was setting its roots in newspapers.

He worked at four of the publishing company’s newspapers.

“If one of the newspapers hired you, great,” he says. “When no one hired you, at least you had a job for a year and accumulated clips.”

He found his way to newspapers in Kansas City, Illinois, Michigan and Texas. The 1982 Pulitzer Prize for Local Spot News Reporting was won by the KC Star and Times. After covering sports for the Tucson Citizen for 15 years, he went north to the Republic and worked there as a

sports editor.

Since the fall semester in 2013, he has served as an adjunct professor at Cronkite. He has taught editing, reporting and ethics classes. He also served as director with Cronkite News, overseeing a group of reporters covering the borderlands beat.

For his devoted work with young people, he was named Co-Mentor of the Year by the Phoenix Business Journal for its 2017 Landmark Leader Awards. The awards recognize commitment, hard work, collaboration and community service in Valley commercial real estate.

When Madrid, 64, opened his PR firm, his journalism friends joked with him that he “crossed over to the dark side.”

“It’s easy to go from journalism to PR than it is PR to journalism,” he says. “We know how to write a story, use the AP Stylebook, pitch a story to a publication and how to make deadline. It was this seamless transition to be able to do that and still stay in journalism and see the Cronkite’s cool resources.”

A Scottsdale resident, Peter Madrid has gained experience around the country, hopping from one paper to the next. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

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From Clients to Caregivers George Burson transitions from the beauty industry to nonprofits

BY MICHELLE TALSMA EVERSON For nearly 50 years, George Burson worked in the beauty industry. He was an experienced makeup artist; did facials; and owned a Downtown Phoenix salon called Salon Georvid alongside his husband and longtime partner, David Samora, for nearly 30 years.

In his second act, though, Burson has transitioned to working at a local nonprofit called Duet: Partners in Health & Aging, assisting family caregivers in their journey to care for their loved ones and themselves.

“I was doing makeup, facials and was a salon owner for so long that that, when I retired, I wanted a change,” Burson says.

That change came by chance in the fall of 2016 when Burson and Samora connected with Duet.

Duet is a nonprofit organization that has a mission to promote health and well-being through vitally needed services to homebound adults, family caregivers, faith communities and grandfamilies, according to the organization.

At the time, the nonprofit was shooting videos for its “Finding Meaning and Hope” discussion series and wanted to include a diverse array of caregivers. The video series, created in partnership with Pauline Boss, Ph.D., is free for family caregivers led by peer volunteers. The series is based on Boss’ book, “Loving Someone

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MAY 2021

Burson and Samora know what a life-changing journey it is to be a family caregiver, as they both cared for their aging parents for decades until they passed.

“I wanted to do something else (after retiring). I was thinking about what I could possibly do, when as fate would have it, in September of 2018, I was offered a part-time job working for Duet,” he says. “After being here more than two years, I cannot tell you how rewarding this job has been. Every day I get to pay it forward and help people who are in the same position that I was in not so long ago.”

Burson shares that his mom passed one year ago, and it’s George Burson, left, owned a Downtown Phoenix salon called Salon Georvid with his husband and longtime been a difficult journey bouncpartner, David Samora, for nearly 30 years, before eventually transition to working with the nonprofit Duet: ing back after being a family Partners in Health & Aging. (Submitted photos) caregiver for decades — but volunteering and working for Duet has Who Has Dementia: How to Find Hope now had a name.”

The video shoot, Burson adds, helped helped him in the process.

While Coping with Stress and Grief.”

“We (he and Samora) learned the im“We found out about Duet through them both to understand their caregivportance of taking care of ourselves, bea client at the salon who knew we were ing journey better.

“Learning about the things that Dr. cause if something happens to us, then caring for my mom,” Burson recalls. “We started shooting the video series in Octo- Boss teaches in her book, like how to deal who will be there to take care of our loved ber 2016. We — and those shooting the with guilt and how important the work of ones? I was not a support group kind of video series — wanted to be sure that a caregiver is, really helps us to deal with guy, but I soon realized the importance of having a group of people you could talk LGBTQ caregivers were seen and repre- the challenges,” he says.

From that video shoot, Burson and to,” he says. sented in the series.”

“We learned patience with each othTwo weeks before filming Samora began to volunteer for Duet. began, Samora’s mom passed They attended and facilitated support er and my mother. I know that as things groups for family caregivers (including a continued to progress in my mother’s illaway.

“Still grieving, we wanted to men’s-only group and a group for those ness, had it not been for what I learned by participate in the video series who are LGBTQ+), they served as men- volunteering for Duet, going to support and see what good we could tors for other caregivers, and they vol- groups and reading Dr. Boss’ book, I honunteered at a variety of the nonprofit’s estly don’t know if I would be here talking do,” Samora says. to you today.”

According to Burson and events.

For those looking to transition to a In 2018, because of his active volunteer Samora, the video shoot expeservice, Burson was offered a part-time completely different career, he suggests rience taught them a lot.

“Like a lot of people who role with Duet helping family caregivers choosing something you’re passionate provide care for loved ones, we by facilitating support groups, assisting about.

“Duet has a lot of new things going didn’t realize that we were fam- with community referrals and guided asily caregivers,” Samora says. “It sistance, being supportive on their care- on — for example, many of our support was a very moving, eye-open- giving journey, facilitating the “Finding groups are virtual now because of the pandemic. Working here helps keep my ing experience for us. A lot of Meaning and Hope” series, and more.

“After so many years in the beauty in- mind sharp and keeps me active. Find what we had been through dustry, my customer service skills really something you’re passionate about and George Burson works at a local translated to what I do at Duet,” Burson go for it. I don’t think my transition from nonprofit called Duet: Partners in says. “I’ve learned to be open and to lis- beauty to nonprofit would have been as Health & Aging, assisting family caregivers in their journey to care for ten to those we help. I also can empathize smooth if I wasn’t passionate about helptheir loved ones and themselves. ing other family caregivers.” with them because I’ve been there, too.” www.LovinLife.com

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MAY 2021

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www.LovinLife.com

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Entertainment

The Music of the Night Theater company strikes gold with cabaret revues

BY KRISTINE CANNON Life is a cabaret.

At least, it has been for the small cast of Scottsdale Musical Theater Company’s (SMTC) cabaret-style series, which has taken place every Saturday evening at Scottsdale Plaza Resort since March.

It’s a live theater series that has been so popular that SMTC has extended the revue another month.

“We knew this was going to be an experiment, and I certainly didn’t expect to be sold out every night,” says SMTC Executive Producer David Hock. “It’s truly been amazing.”

SMTC’s cabaret-style musical revue continues this month at Scottsdale Plaza Resort with a new show, “Best of Broadway: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.”

Guests will be treated to songs from Webber’s most popular musicals, including “Evita,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Cats” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

“Rodgers and Hammerstein is by far the most nostalgic of Broadway musicals.

Andrew Lloyd Webber is by far the most popular,” Hock says of choosing Webber’s music for the next set of shows.

“I think people will be surprised to hear so many songs that they didn’t realize were Andrew Lloyd Webber, or that some of the songs even existed.”

Shows are scheduled for every Saturday through May, and tickets are $25. The revue will feature Elizabeth Blair, Nicki Bond, Hector Coris, Christopher Gonzalez, Taylor Hogan, Matt Newhard, Estrella Paloma Parra and Zack Wells, with musical direction and keyboards handled by Josh Hontz and percussion by Shawn Jordan.

“We’re just hoping to really expand everyone’s appreciation of the impact of his music,” Hock says.

Since March, SMTC has transformed the resort’s La Valencia space into a “cabaret/nightclub feel” with cocktail tables, a full-service bar, and a raised stage with full lighting and sound.

And it’ll continue to do so for May’s shows.

“It follows a long-held tradition for stage performers that removes the confines of being in a large theater on stage as a character in costume to allow moments between singer-and-song and singer-and-audience that creates a more

intimate connection to the music and the audience, providing a uniquely wonderful and entertaining experience,” Hock says.

Seating will be spread out, and up to four people will remain at their own cocktail table.

“Audiences have been very receptive to the format and have appreciated our attention in providing as safe of an environment with socially distanced seating, etc.,” Hock says.

“We can see people’s head swaying to the music, and we can hear people singing along. I think audience members are really enjoying the ability to just sit and have a drink and relax while enjoying hearing all of this great music.”

May’s revue follows two months of sold-out shows at the resort. Both months featured songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein, the duo behind “Oklahoma!” “The King & I” and “The Sound of Music.”

“I was hopeful, but yes, I’m very pleasantly surprised,” Hock says. “The response has been in part due to people feeling a little more comfortable venturing out now that they’ve had both vaccine shots.

There is no doubt that people are so eager to get out and do something.”

SMTC is no stranger to Scottsdale Plaza Resort. Hock partnered with the resort in 2017 and sends his celebrity guest stars to stay there.

SMTC has also held rehearsals for a

number of its shows at the resort and a Christmas party for its “A Christmas Carol” cast.

“After a year of not being able to do shows, I approached Travis Giles, the resort vice president, about doing cabaret-style shows. We had discussed this idea a couple of years ago, and it just didn’t happen then,” Hock says.

Hosting them a year into a pandemic felt like “the perfect time to get live performing happening again.”

And they were — and still are — a hit.

“I really wasn’t sure how popular it would be,” Hock says. “There hasn’t really been this type of cabaret-style musical theater revue here in Phoenix.

“Audiences are really embracing this format and thoroughly enjoying their evening out.”

Now, with the success of the cabaret-style shows, SMTC plans to continue to host the Saturday night revues, as scheduling allows.

“The Plaza Resort has been a great partner,” Hock says. “My hope is there is a strong enough response that we’ll need to extend (the Webber shows) for an additional month. Beyond that, we will plan the next revue and just keep on going for as long as our audiences keep coming back and enjoying themselves.”

Other possible shows include an evening of Stephen Sondheim, an evening of Irving Berlin, and an evening of Cole Porter.

“It is quite gratifying,” Hock says of bringing live musical theater back to Scottsdale. “And I think my performers have been just as excited as the audiences.”

Hock calls this cabaret-style format a “baby step” to getting back to “normal” after nearly one year and a half of silent, shuttered stages and theaters.

“And no one still knows when largescale musicals will be back up and running,” he says. “So, until that time arrives, I’m glad that we’re able to offer audiences a chance to hear their favorite Broadway songs in a live setting.”

MORE INFO

From left to right, Estrella Paloma Parra, Josh Pike, Taylor Hogan, Matt Newhard, Nicki Bond and Adrian Ward rehearse a show.

(Submitted photo)

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What: “Best of Broadway: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber” When: 7:30 p.m. (doors) and 8 p.m. (showtime) Saturdays in May Where: The Scottsdale Plaza Resort, 7200 N. Scottsdale Road Cost: $25 Info: scottsdalemusicaltheater.com www.LovinLife.com

Raised on music, living by music Singer Duffy King has ‘really good stuff’

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Guitarist Duff y King forged a successful career in suburban Detroit and around the Great Lakes State. When he and his wife bought a condo in Carefree, he felt he had to start over again with music.

But North Valley venues rallied around the performer and gave him a second musical home.

“When I moved to Arizona, The Hideaway gave me my first gig,” he says. “They said anytime I come out here, they’ll put me on their schedule.”

His upcoming shows include 6 to 9 p.m.

Saturday, May 8, at Local Jonny’s, where he “rocks it out.”

“They can expect to hear anything from John Mayer, OneRepublic to Led Zeppelin to the Who to Al Green to Steely Dan to Maroon 5 and Van Morrison. It’s a really, really wide range.

“There is a little jazz from my solo stuff — and Stevie Wonder. It’s all really good stuff. Everyone really enjoys my set list.”

Music is in King’s blood. His mother, Patsy King, was a professional singer long before he was born. She turned down a major recording contract to care for her children.

“They wanted her to go on the road,” he says. “She said she couldn’t because she had kids.”

Still, she performed around the state — sometimes with 5-year-old Duff y in tow.

“I remember her taking me sometimes to performances when I was a little kid when she couldn’t get a babysitter,” he recalls. “She would put me on the couch

www.LovinLife.com

and tell me to go to sleep. But I’d crawl out and look under the stage curtain and watch her.”

King’s brothers — Duane King and Nick King — are musicians. Their band, Magic, was one of the first white bands signed to Motown. Stevie Wonder even played on one of their albums.

“Here I am, 12 years old, and my brothers have this album out,” he says. “It was pretty cool. They mentored me big time.

Their guitarist (Joey Murcia) used to say I was his protégé. He ended up going on to be the guitar player for the Bee Gees.”

lege of Music, and I went to Central (Michigan University). After a couple of years of music schools, I ended up back in Detroit.”

Hewitt then moved to Los Angeles, where he connected with the Moody Blues when the legendary rock band was looking for a keyboard player. In 2009, he was hired. Bassist John Lodge went solo and took Hewitt with him.

Duffy King King was then recruitduff yking.com ed to play guitar for Lodge’s solo project.

Lodge and his solo Duff y King hails from Michigan band perform his but has a condo in Carefree.

(Photo by Pablo Robles) Moody Blues songs like “I’m Just a Singer King started playing gigs professionally (in a Rock ‘n’ Roll Band)” “Gemini Dream” at age 15 and has continued doing so full and “Isn’t Life Strange.” Lodge, Asia and time. His mom would have to take him Yes were on tour when the COVID-19 panto gigs because he was too young to get demic halted it.

Currently, King hits the stage with the into clubs.

“When I was a teenager, I played every prog-rock band Alan Hewitt & One Nabar there was in metro Detroit,” he says tion, which recently released the single “We’re One Nation,” and Lodge. with a laugh.

“I play so many different kinds of muAs a teen in Indian River, in Northern Michigan, King met fellow musician Alan sic,” King adds. “The One Nation is prog rock/jazz. It’s pretty prog rock. We’re all Hewitt, who lived nearby in Petoskey.

“We’ve known each other since we really accomplished musicians in that were teenagers in competing bands, per band. Not much can get by us, as far as se,” he says. “He went to the Berklee Col- music goes.”

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Dining

Leo Chavez owns Herb ‘N’ Smoke. (Photos by Pablo Robles)

Up in Smoke Leo Chavez follows hus father’s dream with barbecue

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Leo Chavez was working in a university’s finance office when his father, Edward T. Chavez, fell ill. He leaned over from his chair and said he wished his son would do something he loved.

“I did not like the corporate world anymore,” Chavez says.

“I was unhappy, and he got sick and he’s like, ‘You’re passionate about your food, so why don’t you pursue it?’”

His father died in September 2017, and Chavez figured it was “now or never.” The Tempe High School graduate went for it and opened the now-successful Herb ’n’ Smoke food trailer at the end of 2017.

“I went into the office one morning and called my wife. I said, ‘I am quitting this morning, and I gave my notice.’ Well, as you can imagine, there was no response on the other end. I thought I lost the call.

“Then I heard her say, ‘Well, what is your plan?’ I said I would just make it work. She said she would stand by me.”

On February 6 of this year, Chavez took another chance. He unveiled the brick-andmortar Herb ’N’ Smoke in Downtown Mesa.

“I’m hoping we become a staple here in Downtown Mesa,” Chavez says. “We would like to keep expanding. I don’t want to franchise it. I want to open other Herb ’n’

Herb ’n’ Smoke

123 W. Main Street, Mesa 480-359-5129, herbnsmokeaz.com

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Smoke locations that family members can run. I want to help them out. I really want to keep it in the family.

“I’m hoping my kids will take it over for me at some point and just keep it going. It’s good food, comfort food, and I want customers to keep coming back.”

So far, guests have returned for his brisket fries ($14), slow-smoked brisket and cheddar cheese sauce served on fresh-cut fries, as well as the burgers ($8 to $14), brisket sandwiches ($12) and barbecue chicken sandwiches ($9).

“I absolutely love the brisket fries,” Chavez says. “That’s my favorite, because I’m a potato and brisket guy. It’s just amazing. I just love that. It’s mouthwatering.”

New to Herb ’N’ Smoke is the smoked gouda bites appetizer ($4.50), which are gooey mac and cheese smoked bites.

They’re served with Sriracha cream and chipotle barbecue sauce for dipping.

He has vegetarians in mind, too, with smoked tofu ($9), which is washed with smoke and covered in barbecue sauce.

Then, there are the spiced cauliflower wings ($6.50), which are dipped in tabasco-inspired batter and served with Sriracha cream and chipotle barbecue sauce.

Chavez says Herb ’N’ Smoke sets itself apart by using proprietary spices and

woods that are native to Arizona in the smoker. He takes his father’s recipes and throws it in the smoker.

“I literally copied every single recipe,” Chavez says. “His recipes were always in his head. We’d just walk it through, and I’d watch.

“That’s how I learned how to cook. I still do it to this day. My wife keeps telling me I need to measure things. I said, ‘Why? It works. This is what I do — here’s a pinch of this, here’s a pinch of that.’”

Chavez calls his style a diversion from typical barbecue. It’s not Kansas City or Tennessee style.

“It’s just me,” he says with a smile. “I try to put everything into this restaurant that

we’ve done on the food trailer.”

Aesthetically, Herb ’N’ Smoke provides a comfortable setting for guests. Chavez says he decorated the small restaurant so it made him cozy as well.

Chavez’s tattoos are just as meaningful.

He literally wears his loves on his sleeve — his father’s name and a cleaver, which symbolizes his passion for cooking.

“The knife is a symbol of my dad,” he says. “It was the cleaver that I can always remember that he always had and used.

It was the ‘everything’ knife. So, now he cooks with me.”

Herb ’N’ Smoke means so much to Chavez. He says he proved the naysayers wrong.

“When I opened the door to this building and I just looked at the inside of it, it was a moment in my life that really made me reflect on how good we have it now,” Chavez says. “I say that we’re truly blessed at this point.”

www.LovinLife.com

Father Knows Best The Gebrans say respect is key to U.S. Egg’s success

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI George Gebran has spent his life working for his family’s beloved breakfast and lunch restaurant, U.S. Egg. He didn’t consciously decide to do so. It was assumed he would follow in his family’s footsteps. He says, for him, there was a simple answer for jumping headfirst into the dining industry.

“Also, none of us wanted real jobs,” he says with a laugh. “We all went to college, but when we graduated, none of us wanted to work without each other.”

Led by patriarch Oscar Gebran and his four sons, U.S. Egg recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. The eatery is known for its egg dishes and savory sandwiches. Outside of its walls, U.S. Egg’s staff is known for working with foster children and veterans.

“We’re proud and we’re blessed and humbled to have such a strong family business,” George says. “We’re very, very happy with being in the Valley and working hard all these years.”

With locations in Scottsdale, Tempe, Phoenix and Chandler, U.S. Egg is best known for its protein pancakes — a dish that came to fruition before its time.

“We’re the home of the original protein pancake,” George says.

“Ever since then, it’s seeped into other menus in the Valley. That is definitely our signature dish. People line up out the door

for our protein pancakes.”

Labeled on the menu as a “must have!”, the protein pancakes are filled with wild Maine blueberries, homemade granola, cinnamon and slivered almonds ($13.89).

“We were way ahead of the curve to have protein anything,” George says.

“That was definitely not the trend in the late ’80s and early ’90s. My brothers were into bodybuilding and working out and making protein shakes.

That’s where it was born.

We thought, ‘Why don’t we have a protein pancake?’

They started working on a recipe and developing it.”

Like the pancakes, the granola is made from scratch. U.S. Egg’s coffee is sold at retail as well.

George entered the family business at age 17, just after graduating high school in Iowa. He attended Scottsdale Community College and then ASU. “We all didn’t really see much beyond working together at the restaurant,” George says with a laugh. “It was fun to watch the brand expand.”

He attributes U.S. Egg’s success to the hierarchy of the family business and respect.

George and his siblings look up to their father, and that kindness trickles down throughout the family.

“We always worked really well together and always respected each other’s differences,” says George, who lives in the Kierland area. “We really appreciate each other’s talents. What I can’t do, my brother can do, and vice versa.

“Our family structure of ‘father knows best’ and then the oldest brother works out well. It doesn’t mean that my youngest brother isn’t the smartest. We just have different talents in different ways. We respect the hierarchy of the family business. It’s a lot of work, really, rolling up our sleeves and working hard.”

George says he’s hoping the family business will continU.S. Egg’s club sandwich has turkey, ham, bacon, avocado, Jack cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomatoes on toasted whole wheat.

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U.S. Egg chef Mario Gebran and father Oscar Gebran show their protein pancake, filled with wild Maine blueberries, homemade granola, cinnamon and slivered almonds.

(Photos by Pablo Robles)

ue, as there are 13 grandchildren, some of whom have shown an interest.

“This is a family legacy brand,” he says.

“We do want to continue expanding. We want to grow. I have children who will hopefully be interested in 10 years. There’s a big opportunity for them to step in.”

U.S. Egg

useggrestaurant.com 7119 E. Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale 480-443-5558 3238 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale 480-947-7344 131 E. Bell Road, Tempe 480-831-0070 402 E. Greenway Parkway, Phoenix 602-993-2122 5840 W. Chandler Boulevard, Chandler 480-705-0868 2957 W. Bell Road, Phoenix 602-843-1249 MAY 2021

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Big in Japan

Beard Papa’s

Beard Papa’s cream puffs bring lines to the Quarter

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Yasmin Rahimi, who owns the pain management clinics BackFit Health + Spine, was looking for something to do in her “free time.” She is into nutrition and thought, maybe, a boutique yoga or fitness studio would work.

Her franchise consultant swayed her elsewhere.

“The franchise consultant said I would need to put way too much energy in those,” Rahimi says. “They said I didn’t have that much time.”

Different concepts and ideas were presented to Rahimi, but she decided on Beard Papa’s after she and business partner Jeet Mukherjee crunched the numbers. The fresh and natural cream puffs chain opened at Scottsdale Quarter on February 27.

Founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1999, Beard Papa’s started as a small bakery and quickly grew to more than 400 locations in 15 countries and territories, while gaining global recognition for its light and airy cream puffs.

“The cream puffs are far from your traditional frozen puff found in the freezer aisle. The recipe is simply addictive. I’ve never met anyone who has tried Beard Papa’s who doesn’t crave it again the days following,” says Tucker Kaufman, a mar-

The fresh and natural cream puffs chain Beard Papa’s has 400 locations in 15 countries and territories. (Photo courtesy of Beard Papa’s)

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15147 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite H102, Scottsdale beardpapas.com

keting representative for the franchise. “The product is unique in that there is nothing else like it on the market. From the high-quality ingredients used in the custard filling to the puff shells that are freshly baked throughout the day, the Beard Papa’s experience is unmatched.”

The Japanese dessert chain specializes in creating customizable cream puffs in one of six shells — like regular, chocolate and green tea — and then one of eight cream fillings, such as chocolate, mango, strawberry or ice cream.

“We have six shells,” he says.

“You pick the shells you like and inject them with the different fillings. The common one is the original shell with no frosting and fill it with vanilla custard. Over here, in Arizona, the chocolate and strawberry are popular.”

Rahimi adds, “People can eat more than one cream puff. The dough is really light. It’s not a typical American dessert. Most people who are dessert connoisseurs, they know this is the best.

They know the product isn’t going to be overly sweet.”

Yasmin Rahimi and business parner Jeet Mukherjee opened Beard Papa’s February 27. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

So far, Rahimi and Mukherjee have seen up to one-and-a-half-hour lines at their shop. Guests sit on chairs outside of Beard Papa’s waiting to try the desserts.

“Beard Papa’s has a cult following,” Mukherjee says. “We’re the first Beard Papa’s in Arizona. We have California transplants who are here locally now. They’ve been waiting for this brand to come here.”

The cream puffs and custard are made in-house, says Mukherjee, who is a data analyst.

“The two ovens in the back are always going,” he says.

“Whatever we bake today, we sell today. We bake fresh the next day. Nothing stays overnight.

“The custard is the base for all the fillings.

Every month, corporate introduces new flavors. The base, at the core, is the shell and the custard. We minimized our num-

ber of offerings for now, until we train the staff. Right now, the lines are an hour and a half sometimes. We don’t want to overdo things. We want to wait a little bit until the staffing is properly trained.”

The Scottsdale Quarter store is one of five the duo plans to open around the Valley.

“This location is interesting,” he says.

“We wanted our first store to be in Scottsdale at the Quarter. It’s really nice to have this as our first store. We want to branch out and get closer to the community.”

The Japanese customizable dessert comes in six shells and eight types of cream fillings.

(Photo courtesy of Beard Papa’s) www.LovinLife.com

Puzzles ANSWERS ON PAGE 6

EVEN EXCHANGE

by Donna Pettman

Each numbered row contains two clues and two answers. The two answers differ from each other by only one letter, which has already been inserted. For example, if you exchange the A from MASTER for an I, you get MISTER. Do not change the order of the letters.

SCRAMBLERS Unscramble the letters within each rectangle to form four ordinary words.

Then rearrange the boxed letters to form the mystery word, which will complete the gag!

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Columns

Hospice Is Hope

Compassion is just the right RX for great nurses

BY LIN SUE COONEY

Director of Community Engagement, Hospice of the Valley

When nurse Gina Day showed up at Golden Heritage Assisted Living in Scottsdale to care for Joan Cullen, she noticed right away that her sweet patient’s hair had been set and styled for a special occasion: her 91st birthday party. Her immediate response was to tell Cullen how pretty she looked.

“Knowing that I helped someone today” is the best part of being a Hospice of the Valley nurse, Patrick Murage says.

That’s because Day checks her patient’s disposition as closely as her blood pressure. Nurses do so much more than care for physical symptoms. The truly remarkable ones know how to nurture people’s hearts, too. For Day and other Hospice of the Valley nurses, lifting patients’ spirits is an essential part of providing compassionate care.

“It’s a very sacred time of life to be with a family and a patient,” Day says. “We want our patients to have quality — quality of life. We really make that happen so that they’re going to have the best experience that they can possibly have.”

National Nurses Week, May 6 to May 12, gives us an opportunity to thank these

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health care heroes for their incredible skill, tenderness and resilience. Throughout this pandemic, Hospice of the Valley nurses also have played a critical role in bringing families together in our inpatient care homes so that loved ones could safely be at the bedside to share precious moments.

“I love being a nurse because you get to share people’s lives,” says Moriah Colon, who is part of the after-hours team.

“I’ve had patients who were fighter pilots in World War II, surgeons, ballerinas and all kinds of wonderful individuals. To have a connection with them and be a part of their story is amazing. It’s very meaningful to be able to provide this service and really touch lives this deeply.”

It’s what drew nurse Patrick Murage to hospice care.

“This job is not an eight-tofive job that you punch in and out. It’s a call that you answer every day. I think the biggest part is knowing that I helped somebody today. That’s what makes me wake up and come to work.”

In many ways, “we are the eyes and ears for the doctors,” says Bessie Medigovic, a visit nurse. “At the end, our visits increase because patients need more support. With each encounter, I try to take in what’s important to each family.”

When nurse Kim Werton’s patient needed help with a bed bug treatment in his apartment, she and her team packed and washed 11 bags of his clothes and linens at a laundromat while he stayed at one of the inpatient care homes.

Perhaps the most touching moment of Matt Hughens’ career had nothing to do with what he learned in his practical nursing program.

“My patient’s son was singing and play-

Hospice of the Valley nurse Bessie Medigovic brightens a patient’s day with her home visits. “We are the ears and eyes for the doctors,” she says.

(Photos courtesy of Hospice of the Valley)

Hospice of the Valley nurse Gina Day delights in helping her 91-year-old patient, Joan Cullen, enjoy each day.

ing for his dad,” Hughens says.

“He asked if I played, and when I said yes, he handed me his guitar. As soon as I strummed ‘You’ve Got a Friend,’ the room became silent. I noticed tears falling. When I finished, the son said, ‘You don’t know what you have done!’ Turns out his father was a music composer who loved James Taylor, and this song was the last one sitting on his dad’s piano stand at home.”

The next evening, Hughens returned with his own guitar and played gospel songs at the family’s request. The patient died peacefully as Hughens sang “Amazing Grace.”

Nurses may never know how deeply they impact people’s lives because how can we possibly measure the value of comfort and compassion?

But it definitely is more of a calling than a job.

Lin Sue Cooney is director of community engagement for Hospice of the Valley. Nurses who want to bring comfort, dignity and compassionate care to our community are invited to apply at hov.org/careers. Home care, inpatient, admissions and telephone triage positions are available, along with flexible schedules, educational opportunities, excellent pay and benefits.

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The Healthy Geezer

Son needs help fighting nicotine addiction

BY FRED CICETTI

How to plant flowers in a garden

BY NATALIE GILLILAND

Q

Poppies Flower Shop

How dangerous is secondhand smoke?

My son smokes in the house and it is annoying.

A

Secondhand smoke — also called environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) — is made up of the “sidestream” smoke from the end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the “mainstream” smoke that is exhaled.

Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke absorb the same 4,000 chemical compounds that smokers do. More than 60 of these compounds are known or suspected to cause cancer.

About one in 100 deaths worldwide is caused by secondhand smoke, which kills an estimated 600,000 people a year, according to World Health Organization (WHO) researchers.

Secondhand smoke causes increased cardiovascular risks by damaging blood vessels, decreasing your ability to exercise and altering blood cholesterol levels.

Some research indicates that people exposed to a spouse’s cigarette smoke for several decades are about 20% more likely to have lung cancer. Those who are exposed long term to secondhand smoke in the workplace or social settings may increase their risk of lung cancer by about 25%.

Some of the components found in tobacco smoke that are known to cause cancer or are suspected to be carcinogenic include formaldehyde, arsenic, cadmium, benzene and ethylene oxide.

Gardening

Here are a few other chemicals in tobacco smoke, along with their effects: ammonia (irritates lungs), carbon monoxide (hampers breathing), methanol (toxic when inhaled) and hydrogen cyanide (interferes with respiration).

Throughout the world, governments are taking action against smoking in public places, both indoors and outdoors.

Smoking is either banned or restricted in public transportation. Several local communities have enacted nonsmokers’ rights laws, most of which are stricter than state laws.

Although air conditioning may remove the visible smoke in your home, it can’t remove the particles that continue to circulate and are hazardous to your health, so don’t delude yourself that running the AC is the answer to secondhand smoke dangers.

To solve your problem, you should try to get your son to seek help in fighting his addiction to nicotine. There are many programs available. Call your doctor for some recommendations. Meanwhile, for your own health, you should insist that he not smoke in your house.

Last month, we talked about all the lovely flowers of spring. This month let’s talk about how to plant them in our gardens! One of the things I love about the summer months is the ability to plant colorful flowers. It is important to know which annuals will survive our summer heat. Some great options that can be found at your local nursery are celosia, vincas, potato vine, zinnias pentas and cosmos. All of these are beautiful, colorful options.

After selecting the right flowers, ensure to plant at the right time. These annuals have started their growing season in a warm and cozy greenhouse, so it’s important to plant when the cool spring days are long gone.

Planting on a cloudy day also helps keep the immediate shock of the summer heat from affecting new plants. Do we ever get cloudy days in Arizona? Not really. One suggestion would be to plant toward the early evening, when the sun is going down and the new plants are not at risk of burning. The overnight hours will give the new plant time to adjust to its new environment for the heat of the following day.

I always try to lay out my plants before putting them in the ground. I am a designer at heart, so I always like to have a plan before making permanent decisions. Begin by digging holes to prepare for planting.

Ensure the annuals are moist in their containers. I always squeeze the container to loosen the root ball and then gently

flip the container over while continuing to squeeze the container.

The annual will gently slide out of the container and then install them in the premade hole. While laying out the design, leave room for the annuals to grow.

There are two key factors in the success of your beautiful outdoor garden: sun and water. Because rain is scarce in Arizona, I always recommend having an irrigation drip system installed in your garden beds. It will save you from hauling a watering can to the annuals several times per day. I recommend watering early in the morning and late in the afternoon to cool off the plants. When selecting plants, make sure and read the label to see exactly how much sun they need to continue the flowering process. Most summer annuals are direct sun (more than eight hours per day), partial sun (about four to six hours per day) or shade (less than four hours per day).

Any good florist will say the best flowers are the wild ones. Always be sure to enjoy the newly planted annuals outside and inside. Cut the blooms from the summer annuals and enjoy them inside.

Cutting the blooms off encourages new growth and a healthy plant. It is important to prune garden beds by trimming off dead leaves or flowers, getting rid of the weeds, and ensuring the annuals have enough room to grow and spread their beautiful blooms. Happy planting.

Natalie Gilliland owns Poppies Flower Shop at Norterra, 2450 W. Happy Valley Road, Suite 1147, Phoenix. For more information, visit poppiesflowershop.com, email info@ poppiesflowershop.com or call 480-649-7100.

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AAG charges an origination fee, mortgage insurance premium (where required by HUD), closing costs and servicing fees, rolled into the balance of the loan. AAG charges interest on the balance, which grows over time. When the last borrower or eligible non-borrowing spouse dies, sells the home, permanently moves out, or fails to comply with the loan terms, the loan becomes due and payable (and the property may become subject to foreclosure). When this happens, some or all of the equity in the property no longer belongs to the borrowers, who may need to sell the home or otherwise repay the loan balance. V2020.12.22 NMLS# 9392 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). American Advisors Group (AAG) is headquartered at 18200 Von Karman Ave, Suite 300, Irvine CA 92612. Licensed in 49 states. Please go to www.aag.com/legal-information for full state license information.

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